Do you think you have strong communication skills or do you know?

Why is the skill of communication so important? It determines the purpose, the reaction, and the outcome of any situation. In order to control the outcome begins with being able to communicate clearly and let the other party know exactly what it is you are trying to say. So what exactly is the skill of communication?

 It is the ability to connect effectively:

To a range of audiences – one-to-one, team, or a large group, young or adult; informed or uninformed; colleagues or customers

For a range of purposes – to explain, inform, persuade, negotiate, mentor

In various situations – at school, home, work, customer service, sports team, club

By suitable means – using written or oral (speaking/listening) language, numeracy, financial literacy, graphic, body language

Developing effective communication skills in our young has long been a basic goal of education. Why do we need greater emphasis on this in our classrooms or other learning environments?

First, as information and communication technologies have become increasingly sophisticated, the skill of communication has become more complex. For example, the ability to choose the best medium for a message has become an important skill:

Speech – now includes video conferencing, Skype, teleconferencing

Writing – now includes text, email messaging, social media, electronic presentations, marketing

Second, we now recognise that learners’ communication skills will improve if they have the opportunity to interact with people of various ages, ethnic backgrounds, careers, positions of responsibility and roles in the community. Our lessons and programs need to provide real-life situations in which learners can choose and use the effective communication skills they will require at work and in the wider community.

Reference: Aspiring Training & Consulting. (2003). Fostering Generic Skills.  Melbournce, VIC: Aspire Training & Consulting